RE: [Harp-L] Re: Chinese & Japanese Harmonica Companies

[Steve Shaw <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

> _www.tombo-m.co.jp/eng/_ (http://www.tombo-m.co.jp/eng/)
> Tombo, a Japanese company, makes superior products, but they aren't
> distributed in the USA, except the Lee Oskar brand diatonics, made by Tombo. I have
> 3 Tombo harps, one a valveless chromatic (in my opinion it's the world's best
> valveless Unica Formal slide chromatic), a 3-octave solo-system diatonic,
> and a mini-harp. If you are interested in the Tombo brand, you must deal
> directly with the Japanese factory personnel. They have a salesman that reads and
> writes in English, and the company is consumer-friendly. You'll pay by US
> Postal money order. Follow the directions of the salesman. It is a slow process,
> but you'll be very satisfied with the Tombo products.
> John Broecker


Tombo do indeed make good harmonicas.   I don't know what the thinking was behind Tombo's absence from the US market (with the exception of Lee Oskar harps - something to do with it??), but it seems a bit wacky to me that not even the excellent Tombo tremolo harps are available there.  I don't have any myself (my Hohner Echos haven't worn out yet) but many of the Irish tremolo players regard the Tombo tremolos as the best of the lot.  There's one serial All-Ireland champion I know of who won't play any other make.  I suppose a big issue with US buyers obtaining their harps from outside the US would be cost - not only would shipping and duty costs be high but the harps themselves are often twice the US price outside the US.  It was both amusing and galling for me (in the UK) to see the thread about SP20s at $20.  I'm happy to get mine for £20, and just look at the exchange rate. 

Steve  

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica
HEAR my CD clips: http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm

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